Giardia lamblia, a parasite that until recently was widely believed to be relatively harmless, now heads the list of the most common intestinal parasitic infections in the United States and some other countries. The parasite causes a diarrheal disease called giardiasis.
This infection causes a variety of intestinal symptoms, such as prolonged diarrhea, abdominal cramps, stomach pain, severe weight loss, fatigue, nausea and flatulence.
Giardiasis can also cause malabsorption of nutrients and even retarded growth. Furthermore, giardiasis can mimic the symptoms of other conditions such as ulcers and gall bladder attacks. If misdiagnosed, a patient may have a series of costly, needless tests, and even surgery.
The infection can be successfully treated with one of three drugs: Atabrine, Flagyl or furazolidone. However, each of these drugs is known to cause adverse side effects. Until the present invention, no prophylactic drug has been found which can successfully protect against giardiasis. (L. K. Altman, M.D., The New York Times, June 10, 1980).
Trichomonas is an infection of the lower genitourinary tract, which may be induced in men and women by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas vaginalis. The infection may produce a few symptoms of such extreme discomfort and morbidity that intervention from a gynecologist or a urologist is necessary. The disease is of cosmopolitan distribution and apparently 10-25% of sexually mature females and 25-80% of their consorts are involved (E. A. Steck, The Chemotherapy of Protozoa Diseases, Vol. II, Section 3, 17-1 1971). Trichomoniasis is presently treated with flagyl(metronidazole).
The present invention relates to the use of a group of 1-substituted phenyl-4(1H)-pyridinone hydrazones which are more active and less toxic than Flagyl(metronidazole) and other commonly used drugs in the treatment of giardiasis and trichomoniasis in humans.
The 1-substituted-phenyl-4(1H)-pyridinone hydrazones and methods of preparation thereof have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,984, issued Apr. 11, 1978. The utility disclosed therein is the control of coccidiosis in poultry such as chickens and turkeys. The protozoa responsible for coccidiosis are of the genus Eimeria.